Activating touch-sensitive keys utilizing configuration settings

• US 8,972,533 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Roka, Pujan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US11/936,793
• Time in Patent Office: 2,672 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/230, 709/218, 709/220, 709/221, 348/734, 719/313, 846/45, 345/173, 345/168, 379/88.18, 455/185.1, 455/566, 455/457, 715/531, 715/744, 715/810, 715/513, 713/1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

One or more media for performing a method of activating a set of user-input elements (e.g., touch-sensitive keys) accommodated by a mobile device according to configuration settings is provided. Initially, a message sent from a transmitting device having a data file includes an address to identify the mobile device. Upon the identified mobile device sending a request to access the data file, a communications-network server performs a configuration-preparation process that includes the following steps: retrieving the appropriate data file, determining the capabilities of mobile device based on a user-agent profile, selecting configuration settings specific to the mobile device capabilities, and dynamically appending the configuration settings to the data file, which are then transmitted to the mobile device. Upon receipt, the mobile device applies the configuration settings to activate at least a portion of the user-input elements, where activation enables activated user-input element(s) to trigger a command on the mobile device.

Claims

1. One or more nontransitory computer-readable storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of activating reconfigurable functional keys according to configuration settings, the method comprising:

receiving a user-initiated request to access a data file;

retrieving the data file via a communications-network server, wherein the data file is configured to be opened by an application that presents a representation of the data file on a display of the mobile device, wherein the application is associated with one or more commands, the data file having configuration settings attached thereto, wherein based on

(a) a capability of the mobile device to reconfigure the reconfigurable functional keys and

(b) the one or more commands associated with the application,

the configuration settings map one or more of the reconfigurable functional keys to respective one or more of the commands associated with the application;

automatically assigning the one or more commands to the one or more reconfigurable functional keys, respectively, by way of the steps comprising;

(a) placing one or more of the functional keys in an active condition in accordance with the configuration settings;

(b) placing any unassigned reconfigurable functional keys in an idle condition in accordance with the configuration settings, wherein no functionality is afforded to reconfigurable functional keys in the idle condition; and

(c) assigning the plurality of commands to the one or more functional keys in the active condition, respectively, in accordance with the configuration settings, wherein receiving a key event via a reconfigurable function key triggers a respective command; and

visually indicating to a user of the mobile device the one or more functional keys are in the active condition.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the one or more functional keys represent touch-sensitive keys.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein receiving a user-initiated request comprises receiving an indication to open a document attached to an email message.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein configuration settings are retrieved as a Java-applet embedded in a Java Application Descriptor (JAD) file.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein automatically assigning the one or more commands is based on a mapping structure included within the configuration settings, wherein the mapping structure is derived from both a position of the one or more reconfigurable function keys with respect to a user-interface display of the mobile device and functionality implemented by the launched application.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable functional keys are arranged adjacent to the user interface display in a particular pattern, and wherein the U reconfigurable functional keys are assigned according to a mapping structure that is derived from a position of the reconfigurable functional keys in the active condition within the pattern adjacent to the user-interface display of the mobile device.

7. A computer system for activating one or more user-input elements according to configuration settings, comprising:

a communications-network server configured for

(a) storing a data file,

(b) determining key-filtering capabilities of a mobile device requesting the data file, wherein the key-filtering capabilities include a capability to convert one or more key events received via reconfigurable user-input elements into commands associated with one or more applications, and

(c) selecting configuration settings as a function of both the key-filtering capabilities of the mobile device and a plurality of commands that affect an application hosted at the mobile device, wherein the application is configured to execute the data file; and

the mobile device configured for

(a) retrieving the data file from the communications-network server, the data file having the selected configuration settings attached thereto, and

(b) based on the selected configuration settings attached to the data file, automatically assigning the plurality of commands to the reconfigurable user-input elements upon launching the application configured to execute the data file.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the communications-network server is further configured for receiving a message from a transmitting device, the message comprising the data file.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the communications-network server is further configured for receiving a user-initiated request from the mobile device to access the data file.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the communications-network server is further configured for dynamically attaching the configuration settings to the data file upon receiving the user-initiated request.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein communication-network server is further configured for reading an address from the message, the address directing the communications-network server to the user-agent profile.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the key-filtering capabilities are established incident to the mobile device being provisioned with the communications-network server.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the configuration settings include a mapping structure for mapping each command of the plurality of commands to the one or more functional keys in the active condition according to the configuration settings.

14. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the one or more functional keys in the active condition exhibit a visual indication of activity via illumination.

15. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the one or more functional keys in the active condition are configured for receiving a key event, the key event triggering a command, based on a user selection, of the plurality of commands, according to the configuration settings.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more functional keys in the active condition are operably coupled to sensing devices for detecting a user selection.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a user-interface display for rendering a representation of a document;

one or more reconfigurable user-input elements adjacent to the user-interface display for receiving an input from a user;

a transmission component for retrieving the document from a communications-network server, the document having configuration settings attached thereto, wherein based on

(a) the one or more reconfigurable user-input elements and

(b) an application that is configured to execute the document,

the configuration settings map the one or more reconfigurable user-input elements to respective one or more commands that affect the application that is configured to execute the document; and

an execution component for launching the application that is affected by the one or more commands, wherein, during launching the application, the one or more commands are automatically assigned to the one or more reconfigurable user-input elements, respectively, by way of the steps comprising;

(a) placing one or more functional keys of the one or more reconfigurable user-input elements in an active condition in accordance with the configuration settings;

(b) assigning the one or more commands to the one or more functional keys in the active condition, respectively, in accordance with the configuration settings.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the at least one activated functional key visually indicates its condition of activation to the user.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the one or more reconfigurable user-input elements are arranged in a pattern adjacent to the user-interface display such that the position of the subject reconfigurable user-input element within the pattern adjacent to the user-interface display is intuitive against the representation of the opened document presented within the user-interface display.